Welt-slitting machine.



PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907, A. G. BREWER. WELTSLITTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29. 1906.

2 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 4-

I PATENTED 'JUNE 4, 1907.

A. G. BREWERL WELT SLITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 29.1906.

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PATENTBD JUNE 4, 1907.

A- G. BREWER. WELT SLITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED AUG.-29. 1906.

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UNITED STATES ALBERT G. BREWER, OF NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS.

WELT-SLITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed August 29,1906- Serial No. 332,457.

To all whom, it mayconccrn:

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. BREWER, of Natick, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l/Velt-Slitting Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention has for its object to provide a welt-slitting machine of simple construction, and adapted to operate rapidly, slitting two or more welts simultaneously, if desired.

The invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of a welt-slitting machine embodying my invention. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represcnts a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents an end elevation. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 represents a section on line 88 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of the welt-supporting bed and the bracket to which it is secured.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a driving shaft journaled in hearings on the frame of the machine.

13 represents a slitting knife carrier, which is reciprocated by power transmitted from the driving shaft through suitable intermediate connections, the said connections, as here shown, comprising an eccentric 14 affixed to the driving shaft, a rod 15 aflixed to the ring or strap snrrounding the eccentric,

and jointed at 16 to a pair of rods 17 17, to which the knife carrier 13 is aflixed, the said rods sliding in guides on the supporting frame. To the carrier 13 is affixed by a clamp 18 a slitting knife 19, which projects from the carrier, its forward portion adjacent to the cutting edge being movable in a fixed guide 20, which extends into close proximity to the cutting edge of the knife, and insures a steady motion of the latter, the cutting edge being prevented from being sprung or deflected.

21 represents a bed or table, which is inclined relatively to the path of the knife, and intersects said path, the said table havinga slot 22, through which the cutting edge of the knife passes when the knife is projected.

The table 21 supports the welt strip 23 during the slitting operation, the portion of the welt being acted on by the knife being thus held in an inclined position relatively to the path of the knife, so that the knife cuts a diagonal slit in the welt.

24 25 represent feed rolls, which are adapted to engage the welt strip, and feed the same step by step over the bed 21. The said feed rolls are aflixed to shafts 26 27, which are j ournaled in suitable bearings on the frame of the machine, and are connected by gears 28 29, which cause the simultaneous rotation of the feed rolls.

The mechanism employed for rotating the feed rolls step by step as here shown comprises a pawl 30, pivoted to the eccentric rod 15, and a ratchet 31 affixed to the shaft 27. The pawl is held in engagement with the ratchet by a spring 32. The movement of the eccentric rod 15 caused by the rotation of the shaft 12 and eccentric 14, causes the pawl to successively engage the teeth of the ratchet 31, and thus impart a step-by-step rotation thereto. The movements of the feed rolls are timed so that they feed the welt strip while the slitting knife is retracted. The bed 21 is supported by a bracket 33 which is secured to the frame of the machine by set screws 34 passing through a slot 35 in the bracket, the bracket and bed being thus adapted for vertical adjustment.

37 37 represent welt guides which are located one at the front and the other at the rear end of the table 21, said guides supporting portions of the welt in close proximity to the ends of the table and having lips 40 which bear against the inner edge of the welt strip and guide the same. The guides 37 are affixed to or formed with a hub 41 which is affixed by a set screw 42 to a stud 39 on the bracket 33. By loosening the set screw 42 the hub may be turned on the stud to lower one of the guides 37 and raise the other, should such adjustment be required.

WVhen the slitting knife in its forward movement first encounters the welt it has a tendency to push the same lengthwise. To counteract this tendency, I provide a friction device for preventing lose rotation of the feed rolls, said device offering such resistance to the rotation of the feed rolls as to prevent endwise movement of the welt strip by the pressure of the knife ,against it. This fric tion device is shown in Fig. 7 and includes a disk 43 affixed to the shaft of one of the feed rolls, preferably the shaft 27 of the lower roll, and friction shoes 44 45 which are pressed against a leather tire or cover 46 on the disk 43. The shoe 44 is affixed by a bolt 47 to the frame of the machine, and shoe 45 is adjustably secured to the shoe 44 by bolts 48 49 which enable the pressure of the shoes on the disk to be varied.

The friction device acts directly on the shaft of the lower feed roll, and indirectly, through the gears 28 29, on the shaft of the upper feed roll, to frictionally resist the rotation of both feed rolls. The table 21 is preferablyprovided with serrations 50 as shown in Fig. 9, these being formed to indent the under side of the welt, and thus oppose displacement of the welt by the pressure of the knife against it when the knife is advancing.

, The inclination of the table relatively to the path of the knife makes the serrations 50 particularly effective for the purpose stated.

It will be seen that the serrations 50 on the table, the incline of the table relatively to the path of the knife, the gears connecting the shafts of the feed rolls, and the friction device opposing the rotation of the feed rolls as described, all contribute to the prevention of the displacement of the welt strip by theknife when the latter is moving forward. The contribution to this result by the serrated inclined table, relieves the frictional retarding means of a considerable portion of this duty, so that a relatively light frictional pressure is all that is required of the friction device. Hence wear of the parts of the friction device and the power required to operate the feed rolls are reduced to the minimum. The employment of means as described for preventing the displacement of the welt strip by the knife by frictional means wholly, simplifies the machine as compared with those in which positively acting interlocking clutches are used for a similar purpose. Moreover, the machine is enabled to operate more rapidly than would be possible if positive clutches were employed to prevent displacement of the welt strip by the knife.

I prefer to make the machine of duplex construction, and provide it with two slitting knives, two Welt-supporting tables and two pairs of feed rolls, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. The machine is, therefore, adapted to operate rapidly, two welts being slitted at the same time.

It will be seen that the welt-supporting table extends obliquely across the path of the knife, and that it has Welt-supporting portions at opposite sides of the knife-receiv ing slot 22, so that the welt is supported at both sides of the slot. It will also be seen that the inclination of the table is such that it opposes displacement of 'a welt strip by the forward movement of the knife.

I claim 1. A welt-slitting machine comprising a shttlng knife, means for reciprocating the same, a welt-supporting table extending obliquely across the path of the knife, and having a slot arranged to receive the knife, the said table having Welt-su porting portlons at opposite sides of the s ot, and being so inclined relatively to the path of the knife that it opposes displacement of a welt strip by the forward movement of the knife, and means for imparting a step-by-step movement to a welt supported by the table.

2. A welt-slitting machine comprising a reciprocating welt-slitting knife, a welt-supporting table inclined relatively to the path of the knife, and provided with a knife-receiving slot and with welt-engaging serrations, the inclination of the table and its serrations causing the table to support a welt strip against the pressure of the knife, and thus resist displacement of the welt strip by the knife, and means for moving a welt strip step by step on'the table.

3. 'A welt-slitting machine comprising a welt-slitting knife, means for reciprocating the same, means for supporting a welt stri in the path of the knife, feed rolls adapted to engage the strip and move the same step by step, gears connecting said rolls, a disk attached to the shaft of one of the feed rolls, and an adjustable friction brake engaged with said disk, and acting directly on the shaft of one roll and, through the said gears, on the shaft of the other roll to frietionally resist the rotation of both rolls.

4. A welt-slitting machine comprising a welt-slitting knife, means for reciprocating the same, a welt supporting table intersecting the path of the knife and inclined relatively thereto, said table having a slot located in the path of the knife, and being pro- Vided with welt-engaging serrations on its upper surface, feed rolls located at one edge of the table in position to engage an edge portion of a strip bearing on the table, gears connecting said rolls, and means for frictionally resisting the rotation of the rolls, the said frictional resisting means and the corrugations on the inclined table co-operating in preventing displacement of the welt strip by pressure of the knife against it when the knife is advancing.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT G. BREW'ER. Witnesses:

C. A. DowsE, EMMA L. BREWER. 

